1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rigid, non-elastomeric, non-cellular amorphous metal reinforced urethane compositions and methods for preparing them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reinforced plastics comprising polyester resins, copolymers of polyester resins with vinyl monomers or epoxy type resinous materials reinforced with filaments or fibers of a variety of materials such as glass, nylon, cellulose, asbestos, cotton, carbon amorphous metal and the like are well known. The reinforcing materials may be present in the plastic mass in the form of fibers or filaments randomly distributed throughout the mass; or they may take the form of woven yarns spun from fibers or comprise bundles of filaments arranged in layers within the plastic. Aternatively, they may take the form of mats or felted fibers or substantially parallel filaments. The foregoing reinforced laminates, although useful for many applications, suffer from serious drawbacks which have greatly limited the application of reinforced laminates. The principal drawbacks of the foregoing commercial resins are their low interlaminar shear values, low heat distortion temperatures, and in some cases, their extremely high cost which has limited their use to applications where cost is not an item for consideration. Amorphous metals in particular have been used as a reinforcing agent for synthetic and natural rubber and the like because of the high strength which they impart to the products made therefrom. Amorphous metals when used as a reinforcing agent produce a high dimensional stability and minimum warpage in the end product. Amorphous metal reinforcing will minimize the product's tendency to take a "set" or otherwise become permanently deformed. Most of the strength of the foregoing products is due to the presence of the amorphous metal with the resin serving principally as a binder or matrix to prevent movement of the amorphous metal filaments. However, the strength of the resin is very important if the product is to be subject to any kind of flexure, shear or torque. In this instance, the resin is the limiting strength factor because it prevents the reinforcing filaments from breaking apart or sliding over one another (interlaminar shear). The resin is also the limiting factor on the temperature at which the product can be used, so it is desirable to have the resin as resistant to heat as possible.